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Got this in a holiday sampler.

Dry leaf smells exactly like cheap bubblegum. Brewed tea smells exactly like cheap bubblegum. Brewed tea tastes exactly like cheap bubblegum that’s already been chewed for an hour and has no flavor left.

Cold brewed 2.5 teaspoons in 12 ounces of water for 28.5 hours.

This isn’t quite as strong as I’d like it. Perhaps because it’s a black tea I’d have to add a little more to cold brew it than I would to hot brew it. It tastes good, lightly sweet, no artificial taste. Wish the tea taste was a little more pronounced, but again, perhaps I just need to add more tea. Overall a nice way to enjoy this tea that isn’t as overtly Cozy Fall Evening in Front of the Fire-esque, which is what drinking it hot makes me think of.

I decided to try cold brewing this tea. 3 teaspoons in 18 oz cold water for about 7 hours. I initially planned to steep longer, but I took a taste and I thought it was good, and I usually hot brew this one for shorter than the recommended time as well.

Anyway, just like when I made it hot and iced it, I feel like this tea was a little bit muted. It just has so much more to offer in terms of mouthfeel and light, delicate flavor when it’s enjoyed hot. The flavor of the cold brew was preferable to the iced hot brew, but I’ve now decided for good that this is a tea to enjoy warm.

My first attempt at cold brew. 48 ounces of cold water over a very heaping 1/3 cup of leaf, brewed in the fridge for about 13 hours. (I still have the leaf in there, because while delicious, it could stand to be stronger.)

Delicious! I didn’t expect this tisane to be so good iced but it really, really is. The peppermint overwhelms a little bit, but that’s nice and refreshing for a cold drink. I wish there was more chamomile to it, but I find that true of this blend while hot too — the chamomile doesn’t really shine until the second infusion.

Bedtime/throat-soothing tea. Does the trick. But god, I can’t imagine drinking this without double bagging it.

This is not bad iced, but I think I like it better hot.

I’ve actually never had this straight. I always mix a scoop in with my Adagio Gunpowder for an ersatz Moroccan mint. Is works well at providing a counterbalance to the slight smokiness of Gunpowder.

You know, I just now realized I’ve never tried this tea straight. I’ve always added a scoop of Adagio Spearmint. Which is what I did this time, so that is part of the review. Maybe next time I’m in the mood I’ll finally try it straight just for comparison’s sake.

Anyway, the Gunpowder mixed with the Spearmint. Slightly smoky, pretty minty. It’s so much better prepared with fresh mint, but that’s not something I’m likely to have at my office. What can I say? It’s decent but basic, which is great when that’s what I’m in the mood for.

Brewed my second infusion while I was drinking the first of this to set it aside to cool down. Poured it over ice. A million times better. I think this is just one that I probably won’t make hot very often, if ever.

Another one from the Capital Teas gift box I got.

The description on the box for this is “green tea, black tea, rose blossoms, sunflower blossoms, natural flavoring.” I wasn’t really expecting the super peachiness in this blend. I’m not sure if I’d like it more next time since I’d be expecting it, but I wasn’t really in the mood for something so peachy this morning. I was expecting the floral notes, which I think are drowned out by the peach.

Not bad, but not my favorite. The Chesapeake Sunrise is preferable.